The Great Cuddle Experiment
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: Abby has an epiphany regarding her relationship with Connor and aims to change things.
1. Chapter 1

The Great Cuddle Experiment  
2013 Evenstar Estel

Abby collapsed on the couch in the common room at the ARC fresh from her shower. She'd spent the morning cleaning out the pens of the smaller, tamer animals they kept in the menagerie. It was a lot easier to manage now that the larger prehistoric creatures had been shipped off to various sanctuaries. Their move had left her room enough to turn the ARC's house for wayward anomaly travellers into a fantastic habitat. However, at the end of the day, they were all ushered back into their stalls for the night and those needed to be mucked out. She didn't mind the work, as it was done out of devotion and love for the likes of Sid, Nancy and Rex, but it wasn't exactly pleasant a chore. She absolutely had to shower and change clothes afterwards.

She lounged and relaxed, taking a few minutes break before she'd go hunt down Connor and see what he was up to. She grabbed one of the random magazines off the coffee table and put her feet up. It was one of Jess' women's magazine's she'd brought from home. It was a month old, but it didn't really matter to Abby. She wasn't particularly interested in its content. It was simply something to keep her mind occupied so she didn't nod off to sleep.

She flipped past most of the inane articles on what was trending for Summer fashion and which celebrity was now endorsing which cosmetics line. She paused when she came across a different sort of headline, her curiosity piqued. _Top Ten Ways To Please Your Man In Bed. _Abby smirked as she read the first suggestion. Sexy lingerie. Abby knew Connor loved seeing her in little lace underthings. Particularly ones of the sort that were strictly for the bedroom and completely impractical for day to day wear. She had a few choice pieces that she put on when she was in a romantic mood and wanted Connor to make love to her in their bed. Finally being in their own flat and away from Jess' allowed them plenty of time to play.

The second suggestion was a little bit more risqué, suggesting that women give their partners blowjobs as a prelude to sex. The article talked techniques and things of that ilk and Abby scoffed. She and Connor had spent an entire year alone together. Abby knew exactly how to see to Connor when it came to oral sex. In fact, she was pretty sure she could teach a course on it.

The third topic explored was sexual positions and Abby practically laughed. She and Connor put the Kama Sutra to shame. Abby sighed, ready to flip the page when she noticed something she'd not expected to find on such a list. A survey of over five thousand British men ages twenty-five to thirty-five revealed that sixty-seven percent actually wanted more cuddling as a preface to lovemaking, as well as afterwards. Abby knew that her husband-to-be was a natural born cuddler. At the beginning of their relationship it had been difficult for her simply relax and be held. Towards the end of their sojourn in the Cretaceous, she'd learned that just because Connor wanted affection, it didn't mean it was merely a means to sex. Connor just wanted to be close to her. He didn't need more than she wanted to give. Sometimes he just liked to feel her in his arms. Past boyfriends hadn't given her such solace. She'd kept them at an emotional distance, especially during sex. When making love with Connor there was eye contact, spoken words of love and devotion as well as great consideration for her pleasure. It seemed cliché to say it, but Connor was just about the perfect man. At the least, he was perfect for her. However, while Abby certainly enjoyed snuggling and being held by Connor, it occurred to her then that she rarely initiated it. She also supposed there was room in their relationship for a little more of it.

Her lips formed into a smile and a plan hatched inside her head. Her Connor was a wonderful man and he deserved more of the things he enjoyed as being part of a loving partnership. Now that the idea was in her head, she suddenly felt quite a pull towards her man and the very strong desire to hold him and be held by him. She tossed the magazine on the table and dashed out of the common room in search of him. He wasn't too difficult to track down. She knew he'd be at the Anomaly Detector upgrading its software. He'd been writing it for the better part of three weeks and it was finally ready to be installed and tested. The main advantage of the new program was the global net it cast, using various satellites to monitor anomaly activity world wide. It was another big leap forward for them and Abby was incredibly proud.

She caught him busy clacking away at the keyboard as reams of code flew across the screen. She didn't approach just yet, in case she interrupted when he was in the middle of something important. When his fingers ceased their typing and he hit the Enter key, she advanced. He was startled when her hand snaked around across the back of his neck. But as soon as he saw her he absolutely beamed. She leaned down for a kiss and he sighed happily against her lips.

"You smell gorgeous," he complimented.

"Thanks. Half an hour ago you wouldn't have thought so," she replied with a laugh. "Am I interrupting?"

"Nope! This code has to run for about ten minutes or so. I'm all yours. For ten minutes or so." He grinned and she ruffled his hair.

"Do me a favour and stand up?"

He was confused but did as she asked. Abby looked up at him for a moment, then closed the gap between them and hugged her arms around his waist and lay her cheek to his chest, snuggling and holding him tightly.

"What's this all about?"

"Nothing, just wanted a little Connor time. Is that okay?"

"Course it is!" He wrapped his own arms around her and tucked her head under his chin. "All Connor Temple personal space is zoned for full Abby access."

"Good to hear it. You smell nice too." She nuzzled against his chest and buried her face in his shirts, closing her eyes and relaxing into his embrace.

"You sure you're okay? You don't usually come to me during the day, well, not for _this_."

"I'm one hundred percent perfect. How many minutes do I have left?"

"Six. Sorry. I could stay like this forever, love, but if I don't do this properly, I'll be there all night."

"It's okay Conn. I'll just enjoy this for as long as I can."

When the six minutes were up, Abby reluctantly let go of him. She gave his lips a quick peck and left him to his work, loving the doleful, longing look he gave her as she walked away. Abby felt quite good after her time with Connor, in fact, she'd have to say she felt amazing.

!*!*!

Connor had graciously offered to make them dinner that evening. They often cooked together, but sometimes traded off when the other was tired or had endured a bad day. Abby had actually had quite a nice day, but Connor had offered the moment they'd walked in the door. She kept him company and watched him work as he put together one of their favourite pasta dishes. Fresh tomatoes and basil with black olives, pasta and parmesan cheese all stewed together with olive oil in a frying pan. It was delicious, warm and flavourful. It was a perfect comfort food. Once all the ingredients were melding together in the pan, Abby saw a second opportunity for a cuddle.

She eased up behind him as he stood at the stove, stirring the dish. She pressed her body against his back and circled her arms around him.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, once again taken by surprise. "Hello again."

Abby kissed his shoulder and rubbed her cheek against the hard muscles of his back. She squeezed him tight and sighed happily, content to just hold on to him. Connor laced his fingers through hers and brought her palm up to his mouth to kiss before holding them against his chest.

"You're very affectionate today." The fact that he'd just pointed out that her amount of attention displayed on this day was above what she normally showed didn't sit well with her. Abby thought back over the months after New Dawn. Their relationship was in fantastic shape now. Their sex life was above average so far as she could tell. It was certainly very active. They were together most of the time at work. They talked about the future. They'd chosen their new flat together, thinking it the perfect place to build their lives as a married couple. Yet, it seemed the simple gesture of a hug really touched Connor's heart.

"I..." she began, but her words fell away. She frowned.

"Abby?"

"Can't I give you a hug?" She cursed herself for the defensive tone in her voice. She stopped herself. "Sorry, Conn. I just... I just love you and wanted to show you." He set the wooden spoon he'd been stirring the food with down and turned around, smiling at her. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I love you too, sweetheart. I love your hugs very much, they're wonderful."

Abby smiled, relieved. "I'll set the table. Maybe open a bottle of wine?"

"There's that nice Merlot that Lester gave us at our engagement party. I know we've been saving it for a special occasion, but I can't think of anything more special that another day spent with you."

After dinner they sat themselves in front of the television to watch something inane to entertain themselves before they went to bed. They always sat close together, shoulders and legs touching. Connor's hand was usually on her thigh. Tonight however, when Abby sat down next to him, she took his arm and put it around her shoulders. She lay her own arm across his middle and put her ear to his heart. When Connor began stroking his fingers through her hair, she felt an incredible warmth spread through her.

Abby hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep watching television with Connor until she came to just as he was laying her down on their bed. He'd carried her all the way upstairs. She was roused just enough to feel the brush of his lips against her forehead before he lay the duvet over her. Fortunately she'd put on her yoga pants and one of Connor's old t-shirts before they'd sat down in the living room. She hated falling asleep in her clothes and waking in the middle of the night, uncomfortable and stifled. She watched through hooded eyes as he stripped down to his boxer shorts and climbed in next to her. As soon as he was settled she rolled on to her side and gave him a little nudge to get his attention. Even in the darkness she could see the bright and attendant love in his eyes. He inched over and lay his head next to hers on her pillow. He kissed the tip of her nose and put his arm around her, settling his hand in the middle her back. Abby leaned into him and drifted off into a complete and deep sleep.

!*!*!

The first day of Abby's experiment with initiating more cuddles with Connor had gone splendidly. When he'd wakened that morning he was in a fantastic mood. He'd been very amorous and covered her in kisses before making her breakfast in bed. When they got to the shower, things had become rather heated and left them clutching at each other as they were overwhelmed by their passions. They were late for work, but neither one was particularly bothered. Saying goodbye as they went their separate ways was difficult. They shared a long hug, promising to meet up and go out for lunch. Abby suggested a nice walk in a park, and maybe finding a nice tree to sit under and have themselves another cuddle. Connor grinned at the idea and hugged her once more, whispering his love for her before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Abby smiled as she watched him go. Now that her plan was in motion, Abby thought she definitely needed to think of a few more ways in which she could up their daily cuddle quotient. Or in lieu of that, things that could be done over the course of the day to strengthen their relationship. She really didn't think there was anything missing, or anything that needed to be improved upon, but there had to be subtle, small things she could do to remind him of her love for him.

She took out her phone and prepared to send him a text, taking her time to write it out properly.

_I love you, Connor, more than I could ever say with words._

She sent it and waited for his reply. Her smile turned to a frown when after a couple of minutes, he hadn't texted back. She supposed he was already hard at work and wouldn't come up for air for at least an hour or two. She sighed and turned to go.

She nearly ran straight into him. Connor came to a halt right in front of her. He'd been running back to her. He took her face in both his hands and kissed her with a passion that made her weak in the knees. He pulled away slowly, breathing hard and rested his forehead against hers.

"Marry me," he begged, eyes closed and lips just touching hers. "Marry me this weekend."

Feeling lightheaded and overwhelmed, she had only one answer for him. "Yes," she spoke. "Yes, Connor."

He was about to say something else, when the Anomaly Detector sounded its alarms. He cursed under his breath and took Abby's hand in his as they quickly made their way to the hub. While there were things in the works regarding the the prediction of anomalies, nothing was in place yet. It was something that Connor was working on with a woman called Toby Nance in the Vancouver arm of anomaly research. They spoke over emails and video conference and had plans for several tests and devices. Also, Lester had head hunted Connor a new assistant straight out of Uni. Jacob Fields showed great promise and Connor was glad to have the kid on board.

"What have we got Jess?" they heard Matt ask as they all came on the scene.

"It's not far from here, highly populated area, but it looks like it's opened inside... it's a law office. Clarke, Chippinghurst and Ailwood. Fourth floor," Jess hurriedly explained. "Uploading full details to the Sat Nav in the vehicles, dispatching a unit to secure the area."

"Thanks Jess, we'll be in touch! C'mon guys." Connor and Abby followed after their team leader along with Becker. As they raced towards the vehicles Connor called Jake to join them, and to bring the new prototype of the tech they'd been working on. It was a device based on the timer that the Vancouver team had forwarded them. The new anomaly would be the perfect way to test Connor's improvements to it, as well giving Jake his first hands on experience with anomalies.

When all was said and done, Abby had learned something new. Her cuddles were for more than to just make Connor feel loved and happy. They were also a place for him to escape to when things got so terrible he couldn't cope. Events hadn't gone that wrong at an anomaly in so long, they were all taken by surprise. Jake was horribly injured and even though it wasn't Connor's fault in the least, he felt responsible. The kid had been with Connor testing the new device, when he'd started asking them about their experience in the Cretaceous. Abby stood by guarding the open anomaly as Becker's men hurriedly set up the locking device while Matt and Becker cleared the building. It didn't look as if any creatures had come through, but they weren't taking any chances. Connor was dismissive about Jake's questions, telling his new assistant that it wasn't the appropriate time to be chatting. They had work to do and to keep his mind on the job at hand.

Connor and Abby knew everyone was fascinated and gobsmacked at seeing an anomaly for the first time, but Jake was so enraptured that he was driven to distraction.

"Dating Calculator says about five thousand years ago. Depending where it leads, it's the Bronze Age," Connor said to no one in particular, but Abby was listening. They caught each other's eye and shared a look of exasperation at how much Jake wasn't concentrating on testing the new device, but instead staring blankly at the anomaly. It would be a good long while before Connor let the boy out of the lab again any time soon. Connor sighed and snatched the timer from Jake's hand and began calibrating the device himself.

"Jake, you're too close, step back," Abby ordered in a firm tone, taking a few steps forwards and pulling the young man back to where Connor stood.

"Sir, we're ready," said one of the soldiers, his hand poised over the locking mechanism.

"Don't bother," said Connor, shaking his head. "It's meant to close in sixteen seconds."

"What does it feel like?" Jake asked to no one in particular, advancing quickly.

"Jake! No!" Connor shouted, lunging forwards to pull his assistant out of harm's way. He was a second too late and the anomaly closed, severing Jake's outstretched hand from his wrist. Chaos and blood followed.

Nine hours later, after they'd left Jake at the hospital and filed a report with Lester, Abby and Connor found themselves laying together on their bed. Connor hadn't said much since they'd come home, but Abby knew what he needed. She propped herself up on their pillows and Connor lay down with her, head upon her stomach as he looked up into her warm, loving eyes. She stroked her fingers through his hair and held his hand while he talked about what had happened. He was angry, at himself and at Jake. He was scared and upset that he might be sacked over the accident, even though Abby assured him it was nonsense. He questioned himself and in the end, nothing Abby could say would help. But, what did help was tucking him into bed and enfolding him in her arms and letting him hide away and bury his face at her neck as he allowed his emotions to finally be purged.

It had been a sad day very much in contrast to the happy one they'd experienced. A little while later Connor sought more than just the comfort of her arms, and she gave herself to him wholeheartedly.

The week passed slowly and most everyone kept their noses down and worked in silence in the wake of what had happened at the anomaly. No one blamed Connor. The two soldiers present had been witnesses and word spread quickly about precisely what had happened. In fact if anything, Becker's men blamed themselves for not intervening. It was after all their jobs to protect the team. By week's end, everyone was shattered, tired and ready to escape for a couple of days.

Abby waited in the car as Connor went into the hospital to visit with Jake on Friday. She wasn't sure what state he'd be in when he came out, but she'd already decided that there would be some serious cuddling happening that evening. Over the course of the week, Connor had sought the comfort of her loving embrace many times. But the joyous mood from that first day was nonexistent. In fact, Abby knew he was depressed. The incident with Jake weighed heavily upon him. It was almost as bad as when they'd lost Cutter. She'd wanted to come in with him, but he insisted he needed to talk with Jake by himself.

He'd been gone an hour and she was growing concerned. She'd snagged another magazine that Jess had abandoned in the common room at the ARC in case she got anxious or bored waiting for Connor, and considering she was both, she thought she might as well give it a read. Once again it was mostly advertisements and inane articles, but one caught her eye - _The Art of Sensual Massage: Making Love Without the Sex! _Abby read the entire article, twice. She knew just what Connor needed to help him relax and forget his woes, if only for a little while.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Abby put away the magazine when she saw Connor approaching. He got into the vehicle and slumped in his seat with a heavy sigh. She took his hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He offered her a weak smile and rubbed his hand over his face wearily.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked. He shook his head. "Let's head home then."

"No, sweetheart, you said you wanted us to spend the afternoon together," he protested, not wanting to disappoint her.

"We can still do that at home. It'll be okay. I'm happy so long as we're together."

"Thanks, love, home sounds nice. Could use a cuppa. I'm tired, barely slept last night."

Abby leaned in and brushed her lips across his temple. She let go of his hand, started the engine and directed them towards home. Once inside their door, Connor made his way to the living room and to the couch, sitting back and closing his eyes. Abby knew how tired and how stressed he was. She'd get his conversation with Jake at the hospital out of him eventually, but the details weren't important now. What mattered was taking care of her man. She made him his cup of tea and brought it to him. He accepted it with a murmured thank you and took a sip.

While he drank his tea, Abby busied herself with tidying the flat and arranging things in the bedroom for how she wanted them. When she returned she found him staring off into space. She approached and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go to bed, Conn. I know it's early, but you need rest," she spoke.

"If I sleep now, I'll be up all night. I shouldn't."

"So we'll be up all night. Tomorrow's Saturday." She offered him her hand and he accepted. She pulled him up and led him through the flat to the bedroom. She'd turned down the bed and drawn the veil of the curtains across the windows, the warm afternoon sun barely peeking through. Connor sat on the bed and went to lay down, but Abby caught him and gave him an admonishing look before pulling off his shirts. "Trousers too." With a yawn he worked at unbuckling his belt before pulling down his trousers, letting Abby pull them off the rest of the way. He collapsed back against the pillows and let out a sigh.

"Everything feels wrong," he lamented.

"I know. Close your eyes." He did and Abby gently placed her hands on his shoulders, beginning to knead the tense muscles while at the same time stroking his skin with her fingers. She moved over his arms and chest, face and neck. He moaned a little and arched into her touch. She pressed into him a little harder and he bit into his bottom lip. "Roll on to your stomach." His eyes opened and he looked up at her with love, lust and even awe. Abby leaned down and kissed him, as slow and sweet as molasses. "Let me take care of you."

He did as she asked and as soon as her hands were on his back he let out a huge breath and Abby felt the tension leave his body. She worked the muscles of his back and shoulders thoroughly, making him gasp as her fingers ghosted over his ribs. He let her tug down his boxers and groaned when she massaged his arse, hips and lower back, rubbing her thumbs into every tense muscle. She pulled his boxers off completely, moving her hands to his inner thighs, taking time to give both of his legs their due. She moved back up his body, her fingers dancing over every part of him until she'd returned to his shoulders.

She'd thought he was nearly asleep, but when he rolled over again and settled on his back she realized he was very much awake. He said nothing, but began to undress her. There was no denying the pleading look in his eyes. Abby knew what he needed, and would give with all her heart. Nothing was rushed or hurried. Abby sat astride him and made love to a passive Connor whose hands settled upon her hips and held them. They came together, Connor shuddering and arching as he released inside her, and Abby gasping and jerking as she was consumed by a powerful orgasm.

Afterwards, they snuggled under the duvet but Abby remained awake as Connor drifted off. His soft snores and the even breathing against where he was nestled at her breasts lulled her and comforted her. Her fingertips traced arcane patterns on his sweat dewed back and she breathed him in. Her heart was full of love for him, and burdened by the woe he carried. She took his troubles as her own. She knew time would heal all wounds, but for the present, she'd hold him and love him.

They fell asleep in each others arms and when they woke in the middle of the night, they found their pyjamas, made hot chocolate and watched and old black and white film on the television.

!*!*!

Connor and Abby were roused by the sound of rain against the window the next morning. They'd fallen back asleep half way through their film and woken up draped over each other. They yawned and stretched, working the kinks out of their bodies before slouching back into the big comfy cushions of the leather couch, leaning against each other.

"Looks like the perfect day to spend indoors doing absolutely nothing," Connor said, yawning again. "In fact, I suggest that we don't leave this very spot all day."

Abby felt a flutter of disappointment course through her heart. Had he forgotten they he'd asked her to marry him this weekend? She'd booked a time at the register office. She sighed. Of course he'd have forgotten. Considering the team, and aside from poor Jake, it was Connor that had been most traumatized by what had happened. Abby forced a smile and patted his knee. "Good idea, Conn, sounds great," she replied, unable to hide the disappointed tone in her voice.

"You okay, sweetheart?"

"Me? I'm perfect. I'll make us some tea." She leaned in and kissed his cheek before quickly making her way to the kitchen. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself otherwise she knew she'd not be able to get through the phone call she very much didn't want to have to make. She put the kettle on to boil and picked up the phone. She searched through her past numbers to find the one to the register office and engaged the call.

"Hello, this is Abby Maitland calling. I have a two o'clock appointment for a marriage. Yes, that's right... I'm afraid I'll have to cancel. Yes, I understand that I'll not get a refund on my deposit. No, I don't have a date to reschedule..."

Suddenly the phone was taken from her hand. Abby spun around to Connor's stern face. "Hello? There was a misunderstanding. We'll be there at two. Maitland and Temple, that's right. Thank you," Connor spoke. He ended the call and set the phone down on the counter. Abby couldn't tell if he was angry or not. His jaw tensed and he sniffed, running his fingers through his hair. Normally she could read him like a book but in this instance she had no inkling of what he was thinking.

"Conn...?" The shakiness in her voice caught his attention and a second later Abby had an armful of Connor, hugging her with such strength he was nearly crushing her.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me! I can't believe I forgot. I'm such an idiot."

Abby returned his embrace, rubbing his back, knowing that he was on the verge of tears. "You're not an idiot, and of course you're forgiven. It's been a really rough week, for you especially. It's understandable that you forgot..."

He was shaking his head and Abby felt a wave of pathos for him. She'd not let him take another burden upon himself. She pushed him back just enough to be able to kiss him, and kiss him she did, with all the passion she could muster. She squeaked when she found herself being lifted up off the ground and her bottom placed up on the kitchen counter. Connor began kissing ravenously at her neck. Abby's legs locked around his waist and she enfolded him in her arms.

The rising passion abated when Connor let out a shuddering breath and rested his forehead against her chest, tightening his arms around his waist. "Marry me, today? Be my wife, Abby."

"Yeah, Conn, I will. There's nothing I want more."

They stayed locked in their embrace for quite some time, until Abby suggested they share a shower and go about finding something appropriate to wear for their wedding. Their shower happened to have lasted two hours, but it was still another three before they had to be at the registrar's. Breakfast was the next order of the day and as the time passed, the pair became increasingly excited about their impending nuptials. By noon both were practically vibrating with anticipation. Abby selected a dark blue suit for Connor, ironed a white button down shirt for him and chose a yolk coloured silk tie that she'd bought and snuck into the closet without his knowledge. In a effort to refine his wardrobe for special occasions just like this afternoon's, she bought him clothes like the tie in hopes he'd appreciate that sometimes it could be fun to dress up. Still in her dressing gown, she waited for Connor to emerge from the bathroom and when he did, she couldn't hide her astonishment. He looked incredible. She'd never see him look more dapper or more handsome.

When her eyes reached his feet she burst out laughing. He smiled back and she shook her head. On his feet were the same weather worn brown boots he wore each and every day to the ARC. They had to be the most beat up pair of boots she'd ever seen, but they were so completely Connor she couldn't bring herself to admonish him or ask him to change his shoes. She disappeared into the bathroom to do her hair and make-up. She popped out only to grab her dress and her shoes, barely giving Connor a glimpse of her newly curled hair or soft, smoky eyes. Abby hadn't many dresses, and certainly none that were really sophisticated or luxurious to be married in, but she did have one that she thought was very pretty and would do well enough for an afternoon ceremony despite the rain. She slipped on the duckling yellow coloured linen shift, with its delicately embroidered floral pattern in pale cream that accentuated the breasts. The fabric fell to just above the knees with swooping neck that sat just at her shoulders, exposing them and dipping a little lower at the back. The cropped sleeves had more of the embroidered pattern. She'd bought the dress to wear to a wedding the year she met Connor in the Forest of Dean, but by the time her friend's wedding date rolled around, she was too caught up in the world of dinosaurs and rips in time to be able to attend. It had hung unworn in her closet until this day and somehow seemed perfect.

She sat down on the rim of the bathtub and slipped on the pair of white sandals with a kitten heel. Her toes would likely get wet, but she didn't care. She'd never been one for jewelry, and Connor hadn't ever bought her any. She wished she had something special to wear, but on her ring finger was the golden band that she'd slip off and give to Connor and in turn he'd give it back. Once they were married, she was never going to take it off. His mother had worn it for twenty-two years, from the day she was married until the day she died. His parents had been together for twelve years before Connor's father had died. Abby hoped and prayed that she and Connor would have longer together.

She looked herself over in the mirror, smiling as she let in sink in that she was in her wedding dress and it was her wedding day. She walked out of the bathroom and was greeted by Connor's loving gaze. His bottom lip trembled and tears brimmed in his eyes. Abby blushed and walked to her bedside table, finding the ring that Connor would wear as a married man. She snatched up the box and accepted Connor's outstretched hand.

Three hours later, Abby was laughing as Connor tried to open their front door while at the same time trying not to drop her. He cursed under his breath as one hand fumbled with the latch key while Abby continued to giggle and hold on tight. Mercifully it was no longer raining.

"You should've opened the door before picking me up," she teased.

"M'supposed to carry you over the threshold," he growled. "It'll ruin it if I put you back down to unlock the door."

"Give me the keys then!" She snatched them from his hand. He settled her weight more securely in his arms as his new wife unlocked their front door. She pushed it wide and tucked herself under his chin so he'd not accidentally knock her head against the doorframe. Connor kicked the door closed behind him and set her down. Abby locked his door and hung his keys on the hook behind the door. Connor knelt down to unstrap and remove her shoes, letting his hand wander up her leg.

"I wish we had a bottle of champagne," Connor lamented, standing up and wrapping his arms around her waist. Abby laced her fingers together behind his neck and met his eyes.

"There's only one way I want to celebrate with my new husband. Think you can carry me up the stairs?" She let out a surprise cry as Connor deftly scooped her up off her feet and practically ran to the second floor. Abby found herself tossed on the bed seconds later, and moments after that he was with her and they were kissing and undressing each other, no more words needed.

By nightfall they were satiated and tired. Both felt the pull of sleep, but remained awake, wanting to savour their day to the very last. They'd cried together as they'd said their vows and exchanged rings. Realizing that all that was needed was each other, it had been a sacred moment, even in a register office with none of their friends or family present. They'd have a big party later, but for now it was only the two of them. They'd cried again together as they'd made love for the first time as a married couple. Somehow it really did feel different, better than any time before. Tears, laughter and sounds of pleasure echoed between them until all became one. Their wedding day couldn't have been more perfect.

!*!*!

"Oh not good... not good..." Abby moaned, her entire body shuddering as she broke out in a cold sweat. She hugged the toilet bowl and felt another wave of nausea come over her. She heaved, but her stomach was empty. She felt Connor pulling her hair away from her sweaty face and tying it back. Next he was handing her a glass of cold water. She rinsed her mouth out and spat it into the bowl before drinking the whole thing down.

"Careful, or you'll just bring it all up," he cautioned.

She nodded her head and groaned. She flushed the toilet and closed the lid. She relied on Connor's strength to bring her to her feet and help her to the sink where she brushed her teeth and rinsed with mouthwash before sitting herself down on the toilet's lid. Connor cleaned her face with a damp, cool washcloth, followed by a kiss to her forehead.

"So, it's not the flu," Connor began. "You don't have food poisoning. Sorta leaves only one other possibility, doesn't it?"

"Fraid so. Looks like you've knocked me up." The dopey grin on his face did help to curb how weak and lightheaded she felt. His joy was pretty hard to deny and she couldn't help but smile. He came down from his seat on the rim of the tub and knelt before her. Sat in only her dressing down, it didn't take much for him to undo the sash and push the fabric away. He placed his hand on her flat stomach and held it there, as if trying to sense the presence of their new creation. "I'm kinda terrified, but I'm happy, Connor."

He didn't reply but instead wrapped his arms around her for an all encompassing hug. Abby hid her face at his neck and closed her eyes, relaxing against him and feeling safe and loved in his arms. They'd been married for almost a year now and though each day brought its own challenges, they always ended with them feeling stronger and closer as a bonded pair. Life with anomalies had carried on as always, but her role, and Connor's too, would have to change very soon. A baby would make it all worth while.

Abby thought back to her lonely childhood where hugs and cuddles were something she gave her brother, but no one ever saw fit to give her. A disinterested and neglectful mother and an absent father had left her with a great hole in her heart. Then, Connor Temple had come and had filled it to overflowing. She imagined what it would feel like to hold her baby in her arms and how wonderful it would be to cuddle them with Connor. She had come such a long way.

A year ago she'd had the silly idea that she'd improve her relationship with Connor by initiating more cuddling and touching. It was a lighthearted notion to make her man happy, to show herself that there was an intimacy with touch that had nothing to do with sex, and to give to herself what she'd been missing all her life. Now over time she'd learned so much more about her and Connor than she did when they were together in the Cretaceous. Or rather, she smiled to herself, she'd taken their experience and built upon it and made something strong for the two of them... the three of them, she corrected herself.

She drew back from Connor and took his face in her hands, then kissed him, true and pure. Abby was pretty sure her little experiment had been a complete success.

The End

_Thank you one and all for reading and reviewing. I wanted to point you in the direction of a new fic by the incredible PrehistoricCat that deserves so much more attention than it's got so far. It's the most beautiful example of the enduring and sustaining power of love and just made my heart soar. It's pure bliss. _

_**A Year Apart, A Day Closer** - it's listed among my favourite stories, and PrehistoricCat as one of my fave authors. Give it a chance, review it and love it. You won't be disappointed._


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